
Class .TBiALl^ 

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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



A 
CHRISTMAS CAROL 

By SIR NOEL PATON 



NEW YORK 

IVAN SOMERVILLE & COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 



COPYRIGHT 1907 BY 
IVAN SOMERVILLE & COMPANY 



] t rBnARY of congress) 

NOV d 190^ 
i 0»pyrta:ht Entry 

CLASS A XXc.No, 



( ^COPY 0. 






Designed and Printed at 

THE VILLAGE PRESS 

New York 



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A CHRISTMAS CAROL 

^T was the Christ- 
mas Eve; 

The homeless wind 
did grieve 

Around the desolate 
moorland, blind with snow; 
When at my wattle door- 
Shelter how frail and poor! 
I heard the sound of weeping — 
very low ; 
And peering forth into the wild 
and dreary night — lo! on the 
threshold stood a child. 






vv 



v- 



II 

His tiny feet were bare, 
The snow was in his hair, 

The snow was on his fluttering 

raggedness. 
*Pity a little one 
Out in the storm alone,' 

He feebly murmured in his 

sore distress. 
Within my arms I gathered him, 
And bore with soothing words 
into my chamber dim. 



Ill 

And as I bore him in, 
There came the silvery din 

Of bells, far-chiming through 

the fitful blore, 
And from his pallid brow 
A sweet light seemed to flow. 

And from his tattered garment 

wintry frore; 
While from his eyes a look there 
came 

Of love, that thrilled like fire through 
all my trembling frame. 



IV 

I laid him on my bed, 

And water brought and bread- - 

The last scant remnant of my 

hermit fare,- 
Whereof he took, and slept; 
While by his side I kept 

Dark vigil, --all my spirit bowed 

in prayer, 
Towards the dawning of the morn 
Whereon our blessed Lord and 
Saviour, Christ, was born. 



V 

But, hungered and a-cold, 
Ere half my beads were told 

The gentle boon of sleep to me 

was given; 
And in a solemn dream 
I saw the wondrous gleam 

Of that strange star high in the 

Eastern heaven, 
That led the Magi on their way. 
What time the King of Kings 
within the manger lay. 



VI 

I saw the Angel throng, 
Heard too the Heavenly song 

Beside the shepherds in the 

fields by night, 
And eager ran with them 
To where in Bethlehem 

We found the Holy Babe in 

swaddlings white; 
And, kneeling in the sacred place, 
I saw--and wept to see--in His 
my wanderer's face ! 



VII 

But they were tears of bliss,— 
And bending low to kiss 

In loving awe the rosy-tender 

feet— 
The vision passed; and--strange! 
What means this mystic change 

On all that doth my rapt observ- 

ancemeet? 
A blazing Yule-log on the hearth 
Fills my late darksome cell with 
light and warmth and mirth ! 



VIII 

upon my table bare 
A golden chalice fair 

Shone brimmed with wine; 

a golden paten held 
Bread broken; a pale Rood 
Beside them shadowy stood; 

And from the patient eyes a great 

love welled. . . 
I turned to rouse my sleeping one; 
But vacant stood the bed--and I 
was all alone. 



IX 

I sank upon my knees, 

While once more on the breeze 

The Christmas bells came 

sounding joyously; 
And on a scroll overhead 
Written in light I read 

The legend; *Thou hast done it 

unto Me!' 
And I forgot my sins and cares, 
For then I knew He had been with 
me unawares. 



X 

And from that hour to this 
My fire unquenched is; 

By daily use unminished, on 

the board 
Still stand the bread and wine; 
And this poor cote of mine, 

Yet radiant from the presence 

of the Lord, 
Is a rich temple, where I bide 
Awaiting His angel's summons,-- 
HIS whate'er betide. 



NOTE 

This CAROL was written on Christ- 
mas Eve, 1882, and first published in 
The New Amphion,the book of the Ed- 
inburgh University Fancy Fair, 1886. 



w'fi «Sil 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




